By the Moons
by Inquisitor-Ma'real
Summary: They ran, escaped the lives they'd been forced to live and never looked back. They were many things- daughters, hostages, slaves, street rats, bounty hunters, fugitives...but heroes? When Athleenia and Varia- known to everyone else as Ilum and Jehda- find themselves thrown headfirst into a rebellion they barely understand, they have to try, lest their lives finally manage to
1. Chapter 1

Crouching closer to one of the many bodies littering the floor, Jehda tilted her head at the white armored body. Standing a couple feet away was her older sister Ilum, the redhead frowning angrily as she checked over one of the many guns littered on the floor, fingering the trigger.

"What we do to piss off the Empire?" Jehda chirped, poking the still twitching corpse of what she knew to be a stormtrooper.

"Don't play with it-" Ilum said, turning to fire the blaster with narrowed eyes. She pursed her lips as she looked to the scorch marks on the wall, finally throwing it back onto the ground. "I don't know, but we really don't need to stick around and find out… I don't feel good about all of _this_."

Jehda snorted, wiping the bloodied end of her vibroblade on the material of the stormtroopers clothes before standing up and stretching.

"Nothing like twenty something stormtroopers to give ya that good ol' _bad_ feeling sis. Coulda told ya something was wrong when our contact decided to up the price at the last minute."

"I could've told you that as well, but I was hoping that the money was genuine… we could've used it to get some better weapons, or clothes that can actually hold back the weather." She kicked a helmet angrily, swearing under her breath.

Sighing tiredly, Jehda rubbed a hand down her face. "If they set this up, you know they've already detained our ship."

"Dammit- I just got her fixed up, too." Ilum mumbled angrily, giving the helmet another half-hearted kick. "There goes all the cash I've put into her, especially those new engine upgrades. If I _**ever**_ get my hands on these empire fucks…"

"Ya, ya, next time Lee, but right now we have maybe an hour tops before they start out for our blood."

"They shot first!" Ilum snarled under her breath, hurrying to grab what she could use off of the bodies. She knew most of it was worthless— not even The Hutts were stupid enough to buy stolen Empire weapons— but the habit to make sure they had all they could kicked in. "C'mon, we can get a head start on 'em."

"Well what's the one place in this backwater planet we can get a ride off this dust bowl with no questions? Let's go find whatever bar this town has." Jehda grinned, sheathing her vibroblade as she skipped out the door.

"Watch your ass- Jehda!" She practically ran after her sister, exasperated by the fact she barely even realized she was gone until she was out the door. "For the love of- wait up, and _don't be stupid_."

* * *

By the time the sisters made it to a cantina, they were prepared for a fight at every corner. The dark cloak Ilum had bought barely covered her face, the faded and worn onyx fabric blowing in the dry desert wind. She entered the bar with a sigh, muscles tensing as she waited for whatever the lowest of the low had for her.

"Please stay close," she practically begged, looking over to her younger sister.

Jehda just hummed at her sister request, tugging the rugged blue cloak farther over her head. "We need to find someone with the smell of desperation around them." she murmured, becoming more withdrawn the closer people wandered around them. Glancing around with narrowed eyes, she suddenly grinned at a scruffy looking man in the corner; the force almost crooning around him. ' _Him, him!'_ it whispers.

"Found our ride."

Ilum had been watching the man for some time, her violet eyes flicking over his face as she tried to decide if she trusted him enough with her life. At the same time, she questioned what the best plan was to get them on a ship with little to no hassle. "You feel it, don't you?" She asked, unable to take her eyes off of the man. "What if we're wrong this time?"

"Then we do what we always do, sister." she said, slipping her arm around her sisters. "We fight our way out."

With a grin, she drags them both over to the man, ignoring her sister's sudden stutter in step once the wookie came in view.

"Jehda, the answer is _**no**_ ," she whispered quickly, tugging her arm back. "I'm not getting on anything without knowing I won't be ripped apart."

"What's the fun in that." she whispered back.

"By the force… I'll kill you if this goes wrong." She hissed, barely giving her sister a chance to answer before smiling at the man. Yes, she was trying her best to flirt with him, but every part of her wanted to turn back and run. With a grin that showed her canines, she sat down at the table, catching both off guard. "I'd hate to interrupt a serious conversation, but I was wondering if one of you know a ship we can use. It's _very_ important."

"See, it's kinda short notice, so we are willing to pay _handsomely_." Jehda winked, throwing herself down beside the wookie.

Ilum had felt the sting of a hustle more than once, something she hated getting into every time, so she quickly showed the man a small pouch of money she had collected. "My name is Ilum, and this is Jehda, if you must know…"

"Annnd I smell trouble" the man smirked, lounging back even farther in the uncomfortable cantina chair. The wookie warbled in agreement, grumbling down at the close proximity of the girl beside him.

"Maybe it's just the money you smell," she said, leaning forwards so no one else would hear her. "My sister can move if your friend ain't comfortable, but I'd rather we get out of here as quickly as we can. The _**heat**_ is getting to be too much for us, you see."

The man glanced at his wookie friend, before leaning up in his seat. "And where exactly are you wanting to go?"

"Anywhere that isn't here," she replied, leaning back in her seat as she let the hood of her cloak fall to her shoulders, revealing her features for the first time. She knew the usual reactions— Firrereons had rarely been seen since the planet was destroyed, the few who were alive living as popular slaves among the Hutts.

"Is there room for us, or do we need to look elsewhere?" Jehda demanded, throwing down her hood with a huff.

The other man seemed to enjoy keeping the girls in suspense, his smirk widening as he finished his drink. It was only when Ilum went to stand, sharpened fingernails pulling the pouch of money away, that he chose his answer. "I've got room, but I'll need 2,000 for the trip out of here—1,000 up front since you seem to be all set."

Ilum fought to hide her smile, nodding as she quietly stood up. "We've got nothing to pack, so you don't have to worry about carrying too much weight— all you have to do is pretend you never saw us."

The man glanced at the wookie across from him, and nodded slightly. "The names Han, Han Solo, and the furball over there's Chewbacca-" said furball gave a noise of indignation at the name, to which Jehda stood up along with her sister.

"Docking Bay 94." He smirked. "Meet us there in two hours."

"We will be there, don't worry." Ilum said, placing the money into her pocket before turning on her heel, the fabric of her hood once again covering her golden features.

"See you then," Jehda smiled, giving another wink before spinning after her sister, faded blue covering the vibrant coloring of her two-toned hair again as she sidled up to her cloaked sister.

With a small smile, Ilum took her sister's hand, not once looking back at the man they had met. She stayed silent the whole way, with one thought on her mind: not even she or her sister's instincts could tell her where they were going.

"I think we would use a drink."


	2. Chapter 2

Jehda leaned on the wall of Docking Bay 94, watching her sister pace back and forth with amusement.

"Two hours," Ilum growled, pausing to take a quick glance around the hangar before resuming to pace.

"They're late by thirty minutes sis, calm down-" Jehda said, smiling slightly as she watched her sister resume her pacing. As she settled back against the wall, both girls froze, feeling the sudden— almost blaring— feel of warning. " _Hide!_ " Jehda yelped, diving behind a loading crate. The door hissed open, Ilum and Jehda grimacing to each other at the newest arrivals. A Hutt slithered through, followed by seven men all sporting weapons.

"A Hutt-"

"And a Mandalorian," They murmured to each other before Ilum put a finger to her lips. Both had a hand on their weapons, jumping slightly when the Hutt yelled into the hangar.

" **Solo! Solo! Too Nakma Noya Solo** "

"I've been waiting for you, Jabba."

Ilum hissed slightly at the calmness in the man's voice, teeth bared slightly as she saw the slug-like creature talk to him as a friend- if not a boss to an employee. A low growl built in her throat as she aimed her pistol between the behemoth's eyes, sharp teeth bared as she readied to shoot. The wave of hatred disappeared when the movement of the other armed men caught her eye, and she forced herself to put the gun down. It was one thing to kill a random smuggler or slave owner, but to kill a Hutt was something she knew they couldn't handle. "I told you these feelings could be wrong," she said bitterly, glaring harshly at Han before moving back to her sister.

"We don't know anything yet." Jehda whispered back, peeking around the crate and glaring at the man in the Mandalorian armor. "If anything, it sounds like they're getting ready to kill 'im."

"Your friend Han seems perfectly happy with talking to the damn slug…" Ilum said under her breath, trying to calm her heart rate down. "The Hutts practically own the slave trade here— if they've found out about the fact we escaped, they might go looking for the reward."

"Then we take on any who stand before us and freedom." Jehda whispers back, watching the Hutt and his entourage leave the hangar with a focused gaze. Only after did the door close completely did Jehda jump up from behind the crates.

"Now that that's over with- BY THE FORCE!" Jehda yelps, ducking in time to miss the blast aimed for her, dirt from the earthen wall raining around her.

"Goddamn it kid!" Han yelled.

"Put the gun down, or you won't have a hand to shoot next time!" Ilum growled, her face animalistic as anger coursed through her. The urge to shoot the man for trying to kill her sister was almost overwhelming, her violet eyes dilated from the adrenaline coursing through her as her skin colored silver in anger. "I mean it."

Han sighed, shoving his pistol back in it's holster. "Calm down sweetheart, she startled me is all; she's fine."

"Don't call me sweetheart," Ilum snapped back, lowering her own gun. "You told us to wait here, so we did— you never told us you had business with The Hutts." Venom dripped from her words as she said the name of the crime family, eyes narrowed. "Why was that slimy bastard here, anyways? If you think for a second you can pull the rug out from under us…"

"I'm usually a smuggler by trade _sweetheart_ , and on the rim if you don't go through some of the Hutts for business, well..that just makes you a _poor_ smuggler." Han retorted before turning to the Wookie behind him. "Go ahead and grab our other two passengers Chewie, while I show our more violent guests the ship." The Wookie gave a grunt of an answer, before leaving.

"Now, my violent guests, meet the Millennium Falcon."

* * *

If it wasn't for the fact that there was an entire ship in front of her to tinker with, Ilum would have shot him the moment he turned around. She was still unhappy about the 'sweetheart' comment, her blood boiling slightly as she stepped onboard, mentally jotting down all she could do with what little supplies they had. Without realizing she was doing it, she trailed her fingers over the walls, smiling softly as she quietly wondered what it would be like to own a ship meant for more than a couple people and only a couple week's worth of supplies.

"What all do you smuggle in her?" She asked, smiling softly despite the resentment that still resided in her mind. Machines were one of the few things she could find solace in, her mind slowing down when she had something to tinker with. "You're obviously fit to carry more than a handful of guns or whatever you people like to get passed the empire."

"You ever smuggled anything?" Han asked, chuckling under his breath as he watched how the younger woman seemed to glow as she stared at his ship.

"Well there was this time with Gizka." Jehda chirped, head popping out of a random hole in the wall she managed to uncover.

"Please don't talk about the Gizka." Ilum groaned at the mention of the creatures. "They were the worst!"

"But they purred when you pet them and were so cute-"

"-And they almost overran our ship and tried to eat through the wiring to the light speed controls-"

"-But the one guy liked them!"

"The guy who was tied up?"

"Ya, that one contract we took with the floppy nosed guy...Kinda wondered what his species was."

Ilum gave her a sharp look at the mention of the contract, shaking her head slightly as she looked over the hole her sister had found. "I'll give you a hint, Han Solo: if a man ever asks you to transport a bunch of creatures, do not do it." She said, smiling crookedly before rolling her eyes at her sister. "Also, I hope my sister's big head won't hurt your equipment."

"Hey, I take offense to that!" Jehda yelled, voice echoing slightly as she descended back in the hole. "Oh, shiny!"

"For the love of— Jehda, don't shove your head into holes without knowing what's in them." Ilum said, sounding more like a stressed mother than a girl of only twenty-one. "I know you've got a thick skull, but electricity straight to the brain isn't healthy for you… you've already lost enough brain cells as it is."

"Note taken," Han said, raising his eyebrows at their conversation. "Do you always fight with the little sand monkey, or is it just because you've got company?"

"I hate to say it, but yes." Ilum replied, shrugging slightly. "She ain't killed anyone— or herself— yet, though, so I'm not complaining."

"Ya, it usually only gets better when other people are around!" Jehda grinned, heading popping out of yet another piece of wall she opened farther down the narrow hall of the ship.

"Stop crawling through my ship!" Han yelled after her, the white wall being put back in place as she disappeared again.

"Jehda, I'll leave you on the next planet we stop at if you don't stop!" Ilum threatened, a smile threatening to break through as she watched her sister. "Please don't get stuck, at least!"

"No promises!" she echoed back.

As Ilum turned to argue with her sister some more, Han checked the time, smirking to himself as if he had won a prize. "I hope you two don't mind, I found a couple other passengers for our maiden voyage." He said as he turned to the open docking ramp of the ship. "If you'll get settled, they should be here-."

"What a piece of junk."

"-any moment now." he smirks, disappearing down ramp.

"She'll make point five beyond the speed of light. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've added some special modifications myself."

"Are you sure about this, Jehda?" Ilum asked, walking away from the conversation behind her. She could feel her stomach twisting slightly, the feeling that they were in over their heads coming back. "I can't help but feel that something big is headed our way…"

"Ya...Fate usually has a feel like that big sis."


	3. Chapter 3

" _Mama- I want my mama!" The little girl wailed, reaching a hand out to her mother._

" _Varia! Not my daughter! No!"_

" _Papa- Papa please help us!"_

" _Take care of your sister, Athleenia_

Jehda gasped awake, the jolt of the ship going into hyper speed enough to knock her off the crate she had been napping on. " _Varia! Not my daughter! No!"_ Jehda twitched at the memory, her mother's desperate cries lingering in her ears as she stood up and stretched. 'Don't think about it,' she told herself, shaking off the memory before hearing the sound of voices. Stepping out of storage, she followed them down the hallway of the run-down ship.

As she entered the hold, the first thing she noticed was Ilum perched across from two strangers, the gold-skinned woman glaring through narrowed eyes as she watched their every move. The distrust she obviously had for the strangers in her company filled the room with tension, the younger man seeming overjoyed at the distraction when the younger Firrerreon entered.

Jehda paused in the doorway, tilting her head at the new people. "pæraṇi minihā hā eḷu kavuda?" She questioned, edging around the two humans and over to her sister.

"Anek magīn," Ilum said in a clipped voice, snorting slightly as she looked over at her sister with disdain in her eyes. "Mama hitannē api ovungē maraṇa pera un Tatooine piṭataṭa dina dahayak denna."

Jehda shook her head, feeling an almost uneasy feeling about the older man. "mama dannē næhæ ... pæraṇi minisā gæna yamak …" Jehda shivered, feeling the pulse of the force against herself. "ohu sahōdariya pēnavaṭa vaḍā væḍi yamak vē," she warned.

"Ē mahalu minisā?" Ilum questioned, laughing to herself as she looked him over again. "Ohu yanna paḷamu ennam…"

"I think you'll feel surprised." The old man said, raising his eyebrows at Ilum.

"Pardon me?" Ilum said, more out of shock than politeness. There was a moment of silence as she tried to collect herself, eying him warily as she realized he was in fact commenting on what she had said. "You—"

"-You understand us?" Jehda beamed, all mistrust forgotten as she practically vaulted to the table the older man was sitting at. "It's so great for someone to actually understand Firrerrese without it just being my sister or some stuffy protocol droid-"

"Well, I beg your pardon!" C-3PO interjected, receiving a sharp glare from Ilum.

"How do you know Firrerrese?" She asked rudely, slipping down from her seat to cross the room. Whereas her sister was excited, only more mistrust came from his knowledge of her language. "No one knows it anymore— only the people who learned it from birth. You _aren't_ Firrerreon, I know that."

"I grew up as a youngling with many of your kind in the temple, and out of many who switched to basic in the order, I always remembered them holding on tightly to it."

"To our people, our language is kinda held in high regard." Jehda hums, eyes going distant at the memory.

"It almost defines every part of our culture, from names to poems to songs," Ilum said, watching him with a sliver of sadness in her eyes. "Now that everything we have is gone, I'd like to hold onto it as a surviving member of my race."

"Gone?" he questioned, a frown wrinkling his brow as he glanced between the sister

"Yes, gone, as in the planet my sister and I were born on is now a husk eaten by disease and death." Ilum all but growled, Jehda's hand resting on her shoulder as anger and bitterness rose in her throat. "Killed by the very leader that promised to protect us, only to take some of us away by force while leaving the rest to die. It was the _**fun**_ part of having a force sensitive leader join The Empire."

"I'm sorry for your loss." The man's face appeared crestfallen, eyes going glassy as he looked met both of their eyes.

"The past is the past." Jehda shrugged. "It happened many years ago and there is nothing to really do about at this point." she says, trying to lighten the sudden somber mood.

"It isn't in the past until Hethir's still-beating heart is in my hands." Ilum growled, snarling slightly. "An eye for an eye, death for death."

"And on that pleasant note, you said order? Like the Jedi?" Jehda asked, tilting her head as the young blond one perked at the mention of Jedi.

"Ya! Ol' Ben here used to be part of the Jedi back in the day. You shoulda seen him earlier, he just waved his hand at the one guy, and he just did whatever he told him."

"Don't worry, I've seen what the Jedi can do…" Ilum said snidely.

Jehda squinted her eyes at her sister, humming at the thought of a past bounty hunt. "I don't think that one guy really counted sis. He was so high off spice, I don't even think he remembered what his name was, let alone he could use the force."

"I was thinking more of the hell our galaxy has become, but we can count that time, too."

"Ya, your 'order' sure taught you guys well." Jehda laughed. "One's ruling the galaxy with an iron fist, and the others who are left are hopped up on drugs or living on the dustiest planet on the outer rim."

"I'm sure it was great back in the day, though— before planets were destroyed for the sake of culling resources and selling the people into slavery."

"Not all of the Jedi are like Vader!" Luke piped up, scowling slightly as he looked between the two. "Just because a few people turned out bad—"

"—We should just go back to blindly following the same people that destroyed the peace we'd managed to struggle together?" Ilum asked, raising her eyebrows as she looked between Luke and the Obi Wan. "A grandpa and the most naïve kid in the outer rim… this is the setup for a good joke."

"The joke is that you're bad mouthing the same people trying to help you." Luke snapped back, glaring hotly at the older woman.

"How about this, kiddo, I'll stop bad mouthing the Jedi when they actually do something to help people in need." Ilum said, leaning forwards on the table. "Does that sound good to you?"

Seeing the old man, Ben, only staring in bemusement at the situation, Jehda rolled her eyes before gently pulling the kid back from her sister. "Trust me man, you do not wanna get in a cat fight with my sister, she has fangs and she's not afraid to use them." Jehda laughed, arm still around Luke's shoulder before she winked at him, laughing again as she sees the faint blush that colored his cheeks.

Ilum's only answer was a tense smile, lips pulled back enough that her sharp canines glistened in the fluorescent lighting. "You've never met a Firrerreon, but you'll have to learn something from us: we're all the power of a Krayt with the beauty of a Varactyl." She said, unable to help the chuckle as she watched him blush. "Nice meeting you, kiddo." she laughed, before getting up and leaving, Jehda launching herself from the seat and over her sister, before spinning and waving at the pair of men.

"W-Where are you going?" Luke sputtered, staring wide eyed at the younger Firrerreon's exit.

"To rest," Ilum replied, the door shutting behind her.

* * *

 **Translations**

pæraṇi minihā hā eḷu kavuda?- Who's the old man and the kid?

anek magīn- The other passengers

mama hitannē api ovungē maraṇa pera un Tatooine piṭataṭa dina dahayak denna- I give them ten days out of Tatooine before we hear of their deaths.

mama dannē næhæ ... pæraṇi minisā gæna yamak …-I don't know...something about the old man…

ohu sahōdariya pēnavaṭa vaḍā væḍi yamak vē- He is more than he looks sister

Ē mahalu minisā?- The old man?

Ohu yanna paḷamu ennam…- He'll be the first to go...


	4. Chapter 4

Jehda woke up on the floor, the spot on the bunk she shared with her sister covered by the older girl's splayed body.

"Did you really kick me out of the bed again?" Jehda groaned, stretching stiffly from her spot on the floor.

"The real question is did you punch me in the throat again while we were sleeping," Ilum muttered tiredly, sitting up. "The answer to that question is yes, by the way."

"Fight me" Jehda grumbled, blearily shrugging on her shirt from her spot on the floor.

"Not on someone else's ship," Ilum mumbled as she finally kicked her feet over the edge of the bed. "Throw me my clothes before I walk out there like this, please."

Jehda rolled her eyes, throwing the mismatched pile beside her to her sister before smirking. "Well there's one person on this ship who would appreciate it."

"And who would that be?" Ilum asked, brow furrowed as she found her pants in the pile. "If you're talking about that Wookie, I swear…"

"Well I was talking about Han, but if you swing for tall, dark, and hairy…"

"Oh, _him_." Ilum said, face flushing slightly as she glared at her sister. "Well— force help that kid you were hanging off of earlier. Poor thing looked like he's never been touched by a girl before, and you've got more knowledge on all subjects of that nature than most prostitutes in Jabba's palace."

"Don't change the subject— **Oh no you did not, you** **oba ūru pradhānatvayen pūrhu!** " Jehda screeched, pouncing on her sister.

"I say it with love- _**I say it with sisterly love and affection!**_ " Ilum said quickly, darting towards the door with her grip on her pants the only thing holding them on her hips. The door caused her to pause for a moment, eyes widening slightly as she frantically tried to figure out how to work it, finally managing to release the locks. "You can't kill me, I'm the one who knows all of our contracts!"

Jehda chased after her, lavender eyes narrowed. "Who say's I'm going to kill you? I was thinking maim!" She growled almost playfully, still miffed at the comment her sister made. She stopped when Illum ran around the corner, hearing her squawk as she ran into someone.

Ilum had been looking behind her as she turned, barely having time to stop before she almost knocked Han to the ground, screeching slightly as she realized that she was _not_ about to be murdered. "By the god's, I'm—"

"You're naked— don't you people wear clothes all the time?"

"Only half-naked, and I had to run away from…" Ilum trailed off, face burning as she realized the situation she was in. Not only was Han staring— a little too closely, she noticed— but his declaration had caught the attention of the others in the hold. After a moment of uneasy silence, Ilum moved back from Han— who had practically been holding her up the entire time— and put on her shirt, not breaking eye-contact with them. "I'm decent."

Jehda stood behind her, hand covering her mouth as she giggled at her flustered sister. "I win." she laughed, skipping past her and into the main hold. Passing the game of Dejarik that the large Wookie and the little R2 unit were playing, she stopped at the sight of Luke holding a bright blue lightsaber in front of droid. With a gasp of delight, she held out her hand and snatched it from his through the force, the blue light extinguishing itself immediately.

"Hey!" Luke yelled, lunging unsuccessfully for the lightsaber.

"Jehda that's not a toy—" Ilum said quickly, taking it from her sister's hand. She stopped in shock, turning the metal around in her hand as she realized what it was. "This… this ain't a real lightsaber, right? I've only heard about these from when I was young."

She looked up as she felt eyes on her, looking over to the old man. He'd been watching the events unfold, eyebrows raised as Ilum studied the metal cylinder.

"Dear gods… it is real, isn't it?"

"Awesome!" Jehda yells, snatching it from her sister's grasp and closely inspecting it

"Don't just grab it, you'll take one of our eyes out!" Ilum said, swatting at her sister's hand.

Jehda only pouted at her sister, before looking back at the weapon. "The stabilizing ring is slightly crooked, but with how beat up this thing is, it's not really surprising." She hummed, giving it a last glance over before tossing it back to Luke, giving a slight smirk as he fumbled to catch it.

"How long have you both been able to use the force?" Obi Wan asked, watching the two sisters.

"I… since I was young, I think." Ilum replied nervously, barely able to pull her gaze from the lightsaber. "I don't really know how I can do it— I started doing it when I was a kid behind my parent's backs, and little by little it got easier until I'm where I am now. It's the same with how I know Jehda's getting into trouble before anyone else, it just happened over the years."

"I've been using it since I could remember." Jehda hummed. "It's a great little magic compass of- go that way, oh that person's lying. It's the reason I fight the way I fight." She grinned, hooking a thumb toward the two vibroblades on her back. "Though you should really take better care of that lightsaber."

"That lightsaber is from before any of you were born," Obi Wan replied, watching Luke look it over. "It was first created during the Clone Wars to suit its owner."

"This was used in the war?" Jehda gasped excitedly. "By who?"

"My father." Luke said proudly. "He was a Jedi who fought in the war."

"I'd hope so, otherwise creating it during the Clone Wars and not using it would defeat the purpose." Ilum said sarcastically, laughing to herself as she sat down near Obi Wan. "How do you know all this, old man— did you fight in the war, too?"

"For a short time, yes." He replied, looking lost in thought for a moment. "You have a lot of questions about the war for someone so cynical of the Jedi Order, Ilum."

"I remember hearing about the later years of the war, that's all." Ilum said after a moment, flushing silver for a moment. "I was too young to understand what the war meant, then."

Jehda walked over to Luke, keeping an ear on her sisters conversation. "Okay, so before you start really playing around with a weapon that could cut through the hull of the ship and kill us all, let's practice on some form."

"I have form!" Luke insisted, trying to train without listening to her. "It's not that hard to use one of these things."

"Doesn't mean you're good at it. There's a difference between cutting someone down, and killing them." Jehda said, reaching behind her and flipping out the two vibroblades from her back. "Then show me what you got."

Luke stared warily at her, glancing from the lightsaber in his hand to the vibroblades in hers. "You mean you want me to try to kill you?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"No, I want you to show me how you use that thing," Jehda corrected, smirking to herself at his hesitation. "Trust me blondie, I can handle it."

Luke looked between her and the distracted Ben, turning on the lightsaber as he tried to figure out how to fight without hurting the girl.

"Go or I'll go first," Jehda teased, a blade in each hand.

Luke lunged with a yell, a weak swing that Jehda easily ducked under, the flat of her turned off blade slapping him in the side.

"Dead." Jehda says, ducking at another poorly made swing.

Luke scowled angrily, taking a deep breath as he tried to steady himself.

Jehda stopped, standing to her full height before sheathing her blades. She could feel the strong emotions that rolled off him, the strength of them almost overwhelming.

"In a fight, emotion has no place. There's no fear, no anger, what you have is you and death."

"That's not very uplifting," Luke said, frowning as he looked down at the lightsaber. "Let me try again."

"There's no glory in combat blondie, only survival." she shook her head at him. "There's no point, it would end the same way. Look at your feet, the way your arm holding your weapon is positioned."

"How am I supposed to do all of that and fight at the same time?" Luke asked. "I can't focus on all that and try to fight all at once, no one can!"

"Everything depends on the style of fighting you are most suited for." Jehda hums, gesturing for him to put away his saber. "My own relies on a lot of things. Speed, strength, agility, but most importantly the force."

"You learned how to use the force?" Luke asked excitedly, putting the lightsaber away. "How'd you learn all this?"

"Trial and error, for people who are sensitive, somethings are second nature. When I was younger, I didn't really notice things that I did. I boosted my physical abilities, how fast I ran and how high I could jump. As I got older and realized I was doing this, I honed it, using the connection I could feel to to expand what I was capable of and finding new abilities."

"How do you tune it?" Luke asked, furrowing his brow. "You don't look like you've had a trainer."

"You don't need one, sweetheart." Ilum said from her seat, smirking. "It's called trial and error— otherwise known as try it or die trying."

"Ya learn quick that way." Jehda laughed. "But one way to find that connection is through meditation."

"She's right you know." Ben chimed in sagely.

"Meditating is all nice and good, but I've found a boot to the skull and a blaster to the face works just as good." Ilum replied, scoffing slightly.

"That too."

"Did you learn that by trial and error, too?" Luke asked incredulously, looking slightly scared as he glanced at Jehda. "You two've got to be joking about all of this."

"I mean in our line of work…" Jedha shrugged,

"And what line of work is that?" Han asked, raising his eyebrows as he looked at the two women.

"The fun kind!" Jehda laughed, winking at him.

"One of us dual wields vibroblades for fun, and the other has a blaster that's lost its shine from use." Ilum said, frowning slightly. "You're the seasoned smuggler, you tell me what line of work we do."

"So you two are moisture farmers like the kid over there," Han fired back, smirking at Ilum.

"The best all around, love." She replied, leaning close to him before pulling away. "The force has one upside to it, and it helps us get the job done…"

"I, um— I don't think you use weapons for moisture farming." Luke cut in warily. "What exactly do you do?"

"They're bounty hunters." Ben replied bluntly.

"Oh… is that legal?" Luke replied, taken aback as he looked at Jehda.

"If you go through the guild." Jehda answered him. "Which we totally didn't, but ah- well let's keep that one a secret." she said, reaching up on her toes to pat him on the cheek.

"That costs money and makes us deal with people, which we don't have nor want to do." Ilum said lazily, shrugging her shoulders. "The Empire also doesn't like us very much, so that's another problem.

"Same for most of the people on the outer rim," Han replied. "I think we'll get along just fine, _sweetheart_."

"I told you to stop calling me that." Ilum hissed, scowling slightly.

Han's reply was a laugh as he smirked at the irritated woman, reclining in his seat. "I know."

"Keti taraga yanna."

* * *

Translations

Oba ūru pradhānatvayen pūrhu!—You pig headed prude

Keti taraga yanna— Go fuck yourself


End file.
